School of Music

High School Bulletin

School of Music

Overview

Overview

The School of Music of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts prepares
students for professional careers. Our goal is twofold: to put students on a path
that will permit them to attain their highest musical aspirations and ultimately to
be able to meet the challenge of succeeding in a highly competitive profession.

In its conservatory setting, UNCSA provides an artistic environment in which each
student pursues personal musical development under the direct guidance and instruction
of an outstanding artist-faculty. As professionals in their own areas, faculty members
are committed to continuing their own careers while sharing a wealth of experience
and knowledge with their students.

Students enrolled in the high school music program are expected to exhibit exceptional
ability or promise in their area of concentration and demonstrate appropriate progress
as determined by their major teachers. Students complement their work in the studio
with ensembles, chamber music, and courses in music theory and literature designed
to prepare students well for the demands of a typical undergraduate music program.

To earn the UNCSA high school diploma, high school students must meet the academic
course and credit requirements of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
These academic requirements are similar to the diploma requirements at traditional
public and private high schools. The UNCSA High School Academic Program requires that
all 12th graders be enrolled in at least two academic courses, that all 11th graders
be enrolled in at least three academic courses, and that all 10th and 9th graders
be enrolled in at least four academic courses throughout the school year.

The School of Music offers courses of study with concentrations in the following areas:

Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, and euphonium)

Composition

Guitar

Harp

Organ

Percussion

Piano

Strings (violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass)

Voice

Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone)

Requirements

Requirements

Admission to all programs in the School of Music is by application and audition. Specific
information about application and audition requirements is available on the UNCSA
website.

To be admissible to any program in the School of Music, applicants must possess the
following essential qualifications:

Aural ability to discriminate discrete pitches;

Visual ability sufficient to read standard notated music;

Visual ability sufficient to recognize and interpret gestures of a conductor for concentrations
requiring ensemble participation;

Fine motor skills sufficient to play a keyboard instrument regardless of area of concentration;

Ability to participate in group instruction.

Evaluation

Evaluation

A. Music RequirementsRequired music instruction includes weekly lessons and master classes. Chamber music
and large ensembles may be assigned by the major teacher as appropriate. Students
in 11th and 12th grades are required to enroll in Music Theory & Musicianship, Aural
Skills, or Music Literature & Analysis, as assigned by the theory faculty.

B. Diploma RequirementsTo earn the UNCSA high school diploma, a student must complete the required academic
courses prescribed by the UNCSA High School Academic Program. Specific information
about academic graduation requirements is available in the High School Academic Program
section of the Bulletin.

C. Diploma with Designation “Concentration in Music”Successful completion of the two-semester Music Theory & Musicianship sequence (MUS
0311 and MUS 0312), as well as satisfactory progress in individual performance instruction
is required for a student to receive the designation “Concentration in Music” on their
high school diploma.